Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Pioneers Minimally Invasive Treatment For Life-Threatening Aortic Dissection

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first hospital in the Middle East to implant a new technology for treating a severe heart and blood vessel condition. The Thoracic Branch Endoprosthesis (TBE) device addresses complex Type B aortic dissection, where a tear in the inner layer of the aorta disrupts blood flow.

Dr. Houssam Younes, Division Chair of Vascular Surgery at the Heart, Vascular, and Thoracic Institute, led this innovative procedure. It repaired a dangerous tear and swelling in a major artery without requiring open-chest surgery. This minimally invasive method helped avoid risks like stroke or nerve damage.

The TBE device maintains natural blood flow to the brain and left arm, significantly reducing stroke risk. It spares patients from surgical trauma and complications associated with open bypass repairs. Its branched design can be customised to fit each patient’s anatomy, ensuring precise sealing and reducing the need for repeated procedures.

This approach allows for quicker mobilisation, shorter intensive care stays, and faster recovery. Dr. Georges-Pascal Haber, CEO at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, stated that successfully performing the Middle East’s first TBE implantation in an emergency setting highlights their readiness to provide advanced cardiovascular care when needed most.

Type B aortic dissections make up about 30-40% of the estimated 3-4 cases per 100,000 people annually. Without treatment, complicated type B dissection results in 25-30% hospital mortality. Conventional thoracic endovascular repair often covers the left subclavian artery, risking stroke or spinal-cord injury unless an additional open bypass is done.

The TBE device's branched design eliminates this step, achieving technical success rates above 95% with 30-day mortality as low as 2-3%. Dr. Houssam Younes remarked that this next-generation device allows treatment of life-threatening problems like dissection and aneurysm without open-chest surgery while preserving critical circulation.

Regional Leadership in Cardiac Care

Dr. Georges-Pascal Haber emphasised that this achievement reinforces Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s status as a Centre of Excellence for Adult Cardiac Surgery and a regional leader in complex minimally invasive procedures that improve outcomes for high-risk patients.

Dr. Houssam Younes added that for patients previously considered too high-risk for open-chest repair, TBE is a life-saving medical breakthrough. "We’re proud to serve the UAE and the wider region with such an advanced device," he said.

With inputs from WAM